Design Thinking Organizer

1. Reflection: Complete this section prior to doing any research—

 At this point in your teaching career, what one methodology, strategy, approach,
curriculum strand, etc. are you the most confident? Explain why.
Developing critical thinking skills. I am able using questioning to get students to think deeper
about topic in all areas. I guide students through understanding the questions and then
thinking about the topics and making connections to prior learning and understanding the
implications of prior learning in new situations. I am also good at finding their
misconceptions as they explain their thinking and I guide them to find new ways to think
critically about the concepts.

 At this point in your teaching career, what one methodology, strategy, approach,
curriculum strand, etc. are you less confident? Explain why.
I am less confident integrating technology effectively and efficiently in my class. I am
comfortable using technology and I am not afraid of using it or playing around with it, I am
reticent to use it in the class as I am not comfortable with monitoring student use of the
technology. I would like to use it more, but I really have a difficult time assessing student
work with technology as it seems so much more time consuming. Also, I have difficulty
planning the appropriate time for all students to access the technology. Even being a BYOD
classroom, not all my students have the same access to technology. Often times, the only
device students have to use are their phone and the technology does not work the same.

 How do you allow your students time to think and process while learning?
Elaborate.
I provide wait time for students and do not prompt for answers immediately. I have
implemented a rule in my class where when I ask a question, I will not allow students to put
their hand up to answer for at least 10 seconds. This gives students time to begin to
formulate the answer. I will also announce the order on which I will call students s o they are
not surprised. This is a change from the past when I would pull students names out of a cup
to answer questions. I have found when I tell students when they are going to answer they
are more likely to give a response instead of just saying “I don’t’t know.” I also tell them if
they are not ready when it is their turn to ask me to come back to them, but they know they
are not going to get out of answering questions. This has increased the amount and depth of
the answers provided by the students. I have noticed a decrease in students asking me to
come back to them after, they are usually ready to answer the first time.
  What opportunities have you allowed this year for creativity in the classroom?
Explain.

I have allowed students to design “El Rancho del las Rosas” from the Novel Esperanza Rising
and later the work camp where she lived based on the descriptions in the novel. They did
this through Minecraft Edu. I have also allowed student to research a topic of their choice,
some choosing problems to solve using the “What, So What, Now What” format. Students
will be allowed to present their topics through a presentation of their choice, from a
posterboard to Adobe Spark pages.

 Do you feel you can teach creativity? Why or why not?

Yes, creativity can be taught. While the ability to think creatively is more innate in some than
in others, the skills to be creative can be taught and are present in every person. Students
can be allowed to come up with as many alternatives through developing the brainstorming
skills and accepting any and all answers without judgement. (A very difficult skill for a
teacher, evaluation comes later.) Modelling the multiple ways students can confront a
problem and allowing them the time to practice the skills being modelled. The consistent
acceptance of even the most outlandish of ideas and providing the support for students to
try new ideas and then discussing why or why something did not work and modelling going
back and finding a different solution. Creativity and perseverance can go hand in hand. The
more creative a person is allowed to be the more they are willing to continue to working
towards a solution after failing the first time.

2. What’s Your Creativity Approach?

 Watch the video, We Need a Bigger Definition of Creativity
 Read the blog OR listen to the podcast. (Scroll down to find the podcast.)
http://www.spencerauthor.com/creativeapproach/
 Things to think about. Summarize your thoughts below.
 Which creative approach do you identify with the most or is your creative approach
a combination of two or three of these mindsets?
 How does understanding your own creative approach allow you to think differently
about the students in your classroom or teachers in your school?
 How can different creative types work together and collaborate to solve problems?
 Did anything surprise you about your thoughts on creativity?

I feel my creative approach is a mixture of the 3 of the mindsets mentioned: The engineer,
the point guard, and a little of the hacker. I like to take ideas and tweak them a little to make
them better for the students and to make them more engaging for the class that is sitting in
front of me that year, day, hour. I also look for ways to make everyone successful even if it
means abandoning the previous thought or process. Sometimes there doesn’t need to be a
 “product” to make sure the students learned. Sometimes it is more about how it made them
feel.
I think for every hacker, you need a geek. The hack needs to be reminded to reign in
sometimes and get data that is measurable for the parents and school. While a school full of
hackers would have great relationships with all students and most likely a lot of successful
students based on nontraditional measures, we still live in a world where people want to see
measurable improvement based on certain set of criteria. The Hacker only school would be a
grown-up Montessori school.
What I found surprising is that there is a little hacker in me. Based on the multiple roles I
have played in the school, I know what “rules” I can bend or break to develop a better
relationship with my students and I know how to improve the systems in subtle ways to
improve the practice of those around me.

3. Beginner’s Guide to Design Thinking in the Classroom

 Read the blog. http://ajjuliani.com/the-beginners-guide-to-design-thinking-in-the-
classroom/
 Examine the various models/frameworks and the processes.
 Familiarize yourself with the process of Design Thinking.

How does the process of Design Thinking encourage students to have a growth mindset and
push through the challenge?
The design process encourages children to develop a growth mindset by consistently
reminding them that failure is always an option, but what do you do after you fail is
important. Do you go back identify the next problem then try again, or do you just give up? If
students are taught that every failure is a step closer to success, they develop perseverance.
As Edison once said about the lightbulb, “ I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways
that won’t work.”

4. Ten Things that Happen When Kids Embrace Design Thinking

 Read the blog and watch the video at the bottom of the page.
http://www.spencerauthor.com/ten-things-that-happen-when-kids-become/

Use ten original words and/or pictures or a combination of both to show what
happens when kids embrace Design Thinking.
1) Engagowered (a mash up of engaged and empowered) Students learn to take
ownership of their learning. They begin to feel a sense of freedom in their
thinking and ideas.
2)

(Mistakes are Portals of Discovery)

3)

Workarounds. Students discover that when a system or idea fails they find ways to fix
what didn’t work.
4)

)
Students learn self-efficacy and no longer need teacher approval.
5)

Divergent thinking
6) Mental Scavenger Hunts
Students get to keep the sense of wonder when learning takes place and find their
own ideas and where it leads.
7) Become Risk Positive
Student learn to take risk and see the results as a positive even if it fails or is wrong.
They learn from the failings.
 8)
When students are learning to develop a product for an authentic audience, they
learn to view their work through someone else’s eyes. This is a skill needed in
everyday life and is in short supply.

9)
Students learn that creativity is not just making ART. Creativity becomes expressed outside
the Art and Music rooms in school.

10)

When students become design thinkers they become ready for more than just the
classroom, they become ready for the world.

5. Design visual sketch notes/doodle notes to walk-through each of the steps of Design
Thinking through the Launch acronym. See last two pages of Document for my LAUNCH
 Step 1: Choose a content area, a framework, or a professional learning for stakeholders.
 Step 2: Unleash the creative potential so you can become the maker, experimenter,
designer, artist, and engineer.
o Think of the process for designing solutions to a complex problem in your
content area, framework, or a professional learning topic.
 Look, Listen, and Learn
 The goal is awareness and to motivate others to want to design
something. Beginning with empathy, an observation of a global
phenomenon, geeky interests, an awareness, or a product idea.
 Ask Tons of Questions
  Spark curiosity with various types of questions: research, criteria,
market, etc. (Refer to the Question Stems attachment.) Initiate
the inquiry process.
 Think about how you can lead your students through the process
so that while they are asking questions, we are also leading
learners to use inquiry.
 Understanding the Process or Problem
 Through an authentic research experience (interviews, research
articles, videos, listening to audio, observation, analyzing data,
etc.), understanding of the process or problem becomes clearer.
 Navigate Ideas
 Brainstorming, analysis, combing ideas, and developing p.a.r.t.s.
(product idea, audience, role, tasks, solution) to create, helps to
navigate ideas and engage in project management. During this
process, learners must set goals and chart progress, break down
tasks and set deadlines, choose and implement specific strategies,
and monitor, adjust and problem solve.
 Create a Prototype
 A prototype might be a digital work, tangible project, work of art,
something engineered, an action, event, or a system.
 Highlight and Fix
 Revision should be seen as an opportunity to refine and improve.
 Step 3: Create sketch notes/doodle notes of your Launch process of your content area
or framework. Note: You are not required to implement this plan/lesson. This is for you
to familiarize yourself with the LAUNCH Design Thinking process. Upload your Sketch
Note along with this organizer.
Sample LAUNCH Design Thinking using Sketch Note.
The teacher wanted the students to understand how to write a bill. The product uploaded for this
assignment is a sketch note of the teacher’s thought process as she is thinking how she will lead
students to this understanding using the LAUNCH strategy. This teacher used mostly pictures and
symbols, but sketch notes could. These are the steps the teacher displayed with the sketch notes:

L – look at the different types of bills – medical, environmental, social, etc.

A – ask lots of question – questions are listed on the sketch notes along with a graphic

U – understand the process – research, graphic organizer, guest speaker – these are things that would
help the students understand how a bill is passed

N – Navigate the ideas – ideas are sorted out, discussed, plans developed
C – create a prototype – in this case, the teacher suggested writing a letter or email, having a video chat
with a representative

H – highlight and fix – revisions

Sample Sketch notes/doodle notes. The teacher wanted the students to understand how to write a bill
and used the Design Thinking: Launch strategy. Notice how there are pictures and words to connect
meaning.

Helpful information about Sketch notes/doodle notes.

o Sketch notes/doodle notes can be created with pencil and paper or using
technology (suggestions: Word, PPT, or a sketch app such as Paper).
 Scan your pencil and paper creation as a pdf.
o Refer to the sketch notes/doodle PPT attachment and links below for examples.
 https://www.flickr.com/photos/15664662@N02/ (many examples of Sylvia
Duckworth’s sketch notes)
 https://sites.google.com/view/sketchnotesforeducators/home (educator sketch
notes)
 https://www.bing.com/videos/search?
q=how+to+sketchnote&view=detail&mid=AC3EA1AD780DB6EE4EE1AC3EA1AD7
80DB6EE4EE1&FORM=VIRE (How to Sketch Note without Drawing)
 https://yourvisualjournal.com/how-to-sketchnote/ (How to sketchnote with no
artistic ability)
 https://thenounproject.com/ (Icons for anything)
 Exemplary Accomplished Basic Emerging
Reflection 15 12 9 7
Demonstrates Self-reflections Self-reflections Missing some
thorough and are complete but are vague self-reflections
thoughtful self- lack elaboration in
reflections areas
Sketch Notes/ 25 20 15 10
Doodle Notes Clearly shows all Shows all the steps Missing 1-2 steps Incomplete or
the steps in the (although some areas or steps are too unclear
Design Process are generalized) in vague in the Design Little attempt to
Uses a specific the Design   Process Process Uses a use Sketch Note/
content area, or Uses a specific specific content area Doodle Note
framework        content area or or framework but
Pictures and words framework. may not be
are clear to  Pictures and appropriate for the
understand. words are clear to grade level
Creative Sketch understand. Somewhat creative
Note/Doodle Note Somewhat creative Sketch Note/ Doodle
Sketch Note/ Doodle Note
Note
 LAUNCH Design Thinking Project

L – Create a classroom Tik-Tok Channel for Reading Genres – Fiction, non-fiction, poetry,
drama, science fiction, historical fiction, graphic novels, and magazine/newspaper
articles

A – ask lots of questions – What permissions will I need through the county to have
access to Tik-Tok on county devices? Is there a way to keep the channel private with
only my class able to view the videos? What permissions will I need from parents to
have students post? How often will students submit videos? How will videos be
assessed? How do I keep student videos private on my channel? Will students be
expected to comment on each other’s videos. (Possible Cyber Bullying issues?)

U – Understand the process – research the “best” practices of teachers already using
Tik-Tok with students. Talk with Tech Specialists and Media Specialist about permissions
needed and how to access. Learn best practices of engaging/creative videos. Learn how
to record and upload videos. Find resources for the books and authors we will be
studying to motivate the students. Share with the administration what is being done in
the class in case they are needed. Cybersecurity and digital citizenship lessons with the
computer lab teacher.

N – Navigate the ideas – find recommendations for literature appropriate to the student
level, plan with students on limiting books that can be read and presented in the
specified timeframe. Plan with students on how ideas can be conveyed with motions,
costumes, accents, etc. to make engaging videos.

C – Create a prototype – Create a prototype of the Tik-Tok channel for students to

practice recording and submitting videos.

H – Highlight and fix – revise and share positive examples of what made a good
submission. Have students identify the engaging features of each video and what are
some things they can do in their own video.